There is drama at Harambee House, which houses the Office of the President, after an employee defied orders to relocate from the first to the eighth floor on accessibility grounds.
Phyllis Anyango Ouko, an administration secretary who has worked there for over 20 years, has refused to move to the eighth floor to make way for ongoing renovations on the first floor.
Ouko, who uses a wheelchair, claims that the relocation is malicious and does not take her disability into account. She claims that moving to the eighth floor would endanger her as she uses a wheelchair.
For the past three nights, the secretary has been locking herself in her office as she tries to block the eviction. She claims that if she leaves her office, the only one still standing on the floor, it will be demolished.
"All my things, including documents, are in here. I can't go outside because I am being tracked, like a rat. The moment I get out, they will demolish this office. The head of state wants the entire floor for himself, including my office," the secretary alleged.
According to Ouko who spoke to Citizen TV, without the use of an elevator, she would be stranded. She fears that possible malfunctions on the elevator or a power outage may leave her stranded.
''I've asked them what safety measures have been put in place to ensure my safety when there is a malfunction or power outage, but they haven't given me a substantive answer,'' the civil servant continued.
She alleges that there are offices closer and more convenient than those on the eighth floor, which they are compelling her to move to. The employee alleges that her efforts to reach a consensus with the Chief of Staff, Felix Koskei, have fallen on deaf ears.
''I am here to speak out, nobody is listening, nobody is battling for me, I have struggled with so many challenges to reach where I am right now,'' she continued.
The public officer now wants Koskei to heed her plea and ensure that her concerns are listened to.
The Disability Policy & Guidelines for the Public Service Accessibility & Safety of Built Environment notes that: “Every public service institution shall, in deploying public officers, take due care to ensure that the duty station, workstation, and work environment are conducive to public officers with disabilities.''
''Emergency measures shall also be put in place to ensure that persons with disabilities can safely and effectively evacuate the workplace to an area of safety,” the policy continues.
The renovations are among those that had been suggested by former DP Rigathi Gachagua on his Harambee Annex office, Karen, and Mombasa residences in the previous financial year.
